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Spiritual Formation
A pathway for apprenticeship to Jesus
What is Spiritual Formation?
Spiritual formation is the process of being shaped into the image of Jesus for the sake of others. Whether we realize it or not, we are all being formed by something—our habits, relationships, and the culture around us. True spiritual formation happens when we intentionally adopt the practices of Jesus, live in community, and are led by the Holy Spirit into a life of love.
At South Bay Church, we center our lives around the classical spiritual disciplines, creating a rhythm—or a rule of life—to anchor us in the way of Jesus. Use the guide below filled with south bay teachings, apps, and books to deepen your walk with Jesus.
Prayer
Baseline Practice:
Daily Prayer Rhythm
A church of communion with God in a culture of distraction and escapism through the discipline of prayer.
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like the pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. - Matthew 6v7-8
Other Resources:
Fasting
Baseline Practice:
Fast until sundown on the first Monday of each month
A church of holiness in a culture of indulgence and immorality through the discipline of fasting.
When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. - Matthew 6v16-18
Other Resources:
Sabbath
Baseline Practice:
A weekly Sabbath
A church of rest and celebration in a culture of hurry and exhaustion through the discipline of sabbath.
There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. - Hebrews 4v9-10
Other Resources:
Community
Baseline Practice:
Weekly participation in our South Bay Groups and the Sunday Gathering.
A church of love and depth in a culture of individualism and superficiality through the discipline of community.
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. - Romans 12v4-5
Other Resources:
Scripture
Baseline Practice:
Daily reading of Scripture
A church of courageous adherence to the Bible in a culture of compromised ideals, through the discipline of scripture.
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. - Romans 15v4
Other Resources:
Quiet
Baseline Practice:
A daily quiet time to begin or end our day
A church of peace and quiet in a culture of anxiety and noise through the discipline of solitude.
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. - Mark 1v35
Other Resources:
- Teaching – David Speicher, 2024
- Solitude Course - Practicing The Way
- Fully Alive Weekend Retreat
- The Original Sanctuary - Book by Marc Owings
- Invitation to Solitude & Silence - Book by Ruth Haley Barton
- The Power of Silence - Book by Robert Cardinal Sarah
Generosity
Baseline Practice:
Give away 10% of our income monthly with special attention to the church and the poor.
A church of contentment in a culture of consumerism through the discipline of generosity.
Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Luke 12v32-34
Other Resources:
Witness
Baseline Practice:
A monthly act of hospitality and regularly praying by name for one person in our life who doesn’t know Jesus.
A church of hospitality in a culture of hostility through the discipline of witness.
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5v14-16
Other Resources:
- Teaching – Kevin Riggs, 2024
- Safar Discipleship App
- The Master Plan of Evangelism – Book by Robert E. Coleman
- The Foundations Book – Jeff Little
Service
Baseline Practice:
Serving on a South Bay ministry team.
A church of justice, mercy, and reconciliation in a culture of injustice and division through the discipline of service.
…whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. - Mark 10v43-45
Other Resources:
- Teaching – Clem Ferris, 2023
- Ministry Opportunities
- The Renovation of the Heart - Book by Dallas Willard